THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 31, 1997 TAG: 9701310008
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 31 lines
I am writing in response to the alleged hazing of female cadets at The Citadel. Jeanie Mentavlos and Kim Messer are quitting, claiming that they were unfairly singled out because of their gender.
Speaking as a graduate of Virginia Military Institute (Class of 1990), I can tell you that from what has been reported in the news so far, these women were not treated any differently from the men around them. The kinds of things that they complain about also happened to me as a rat (freshman) or to one of my classmates. And didn't these women claim that they wanted to be treated the same as everyone else?
I am not attempting to defend the actions of certain overzealous Citadel cadets who may have violated rules regarding hazing. The rules of defining appropriate and inappropriate behavior are clear and well-enforced when a complaint is made. It appears that The Citadel has taken swift and appropriate action against those who broke the rules. But these women knew, or should have known, what they were getting into before they matriculated.
Don't blame The Citadel for the actions of a few young men. And don't blame, or change, the system of education that The Citadel and VMI employ. Men, and now women, want to go to a school like The Citadel or VMI because of its reputation for toughness. By simply surviving the first year, one feels a sense of accomplishment and pride. To weaken that system or to treat women differently from men would destroy their sense of accomplishment.
CHARLES SMITH
Norfolk, Jan. 13, 1997